Improved brick-machine



UiaTTan STATES PATENT @TTrcat THOMAS MATTHEW GISBORNE, OF LYMINGTON,ENGLAND.

IIVIPROVED BRICK-MACHINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 52,801, dated February20, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, THoMAs MATTHEW GIsBORNE, of Lymington, in the countyof Southampton, in the kingdom of Great Britain, have inventedImprovements in Kilns for 'I Burning Bricks, Tiles, and ether Earthen-Ware or Ceramic Articles, Limestones, and

Orcs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exactdescription ofthe said invention.

My invention consists in so combining a number of kilns, working on theprinciple of the f Newcastle kiln,77 (in which the combustion ofthe fueltakes place at the one end while the chimney communicates at or near theiioor with the other end,) that the back or chimney end ot' one kiln cancommunicate at pleasure with the front or combustion end of anotherkiln, or witha separate chimney or ilue, so that thekilns may either beused separately, or they may be employed for continuous burning bycausing the hot products otl combustionfrom the kiln that is being tiredto pass among and heat the contents of one or more kilns that are goingto be tired, and by causing the air for supporting the combustion in thekiln that is being tired to pass through and take up heat from thecontents of one or more kilns that have been fired.

The arrangement which I prefer to employ is as follows: I arrange anynumber ot' kilns,

constructed, by preference, to taper from the front or combustion end tothe back or chimney end, side by side and alternately in reversedpositions, so that the chimney end of one kiln is contiguous to andcommunicates with the combustion end ot' the next kiln in advance. Theaperture through which this communication takes place is provided with alsuitable damper, which, when the kilns are the arrangements of myimproved kilns which I prefer to employ.

Figures 1, 2, and 3, on Sheet I, show, rei spectively, a sectional plan,a part sectional elevation, and a transverse section of a single row ot'kilns working on the continuous principle by means of a returniiue 5 andFigs. 4 and 5, on Sheet II, show, respectively, a sectional plan andtransverse section of an arrangement Where the continuous action is0btained by means of two rows of kilns placed opposite each other, ofwhich the opposite end l kilns intercommunicate by means of fines.

The same letters of reference indicate similar parts in each of thefigures.

Figure l shows a sectional plan on line XX, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows a partfront elevation and part longitudinal section online Y Y, Fig. l; andFig. 3 shows a transverse section on line Z Z, Fig. l. Figs. 2 and 3are'dra-wn to twice the scale of Fig. l in order to show the mode ofconstruction more clearly.

Each of the kilns consists of a chamber, A, tapering both in its widthand its height from the front or combustion end, B, to the chimney end,C, the roofD of the kiln being thus, by preference, made to form thefrustum of a cone resting upon walls E. These are made as thin aspracticable, in order to facilitate the transmission of heat through thesame from onekiln to another. These kilns are arranged side by side,alternately,in reversed positions, as shown, so that the front orcombustion end ofthe one kiln is contiguous to the chimney end of thenext, and the chimney end of the kiln A is made to communicate with thecombustion end of the kiln A2 by means of a passage F. The chimney endA2 communicates, by means of the passage F2, with the combustion end ofthe kiln A3, and so on, the chimney end ofthe kiln A12 being made tocommunicate with the combustion end ofthe kiln A by means of the passageF12 and the underground-liuc G.

H H are tlues formed below the floor-line on either side of the kilns,communicating with the chimney I and with each ot' the kilns,respectively, through apertures J J2 J 3, formed in the iioor at thechimney ends of the lat-ter. These aperturesv are provided with dampersor with Hap-valves K K2 K3, so arrangedand actuated by external weightedlevers 7c 102703 that they may be made to closealternately, the

apertures J J2, or the apertures of the beforedescribed passages F' F2F2, through which the kilns intercommunicate by being turned either downor up.

L'L2L3 are the doorways of the kilns, which, when the kilns are in use,are temporarily bricked up, as indicated.

M' M2 M3 are apertures through which the fuel is introduced into thekilns when burning on the continous system, and which are, bypreference, all temporarily bricked up, excepting those in the kiln thatis being fired; and

N' N2 N3 are chimneys only required for use when the continuous actionof the kiln is interrupted.

When burning on the continuous system, the chimneys N are closed bysuitable dampers or caps O' O2 O3.

It will be seen by the foregoing-described arrangement that the actionof the kilns is as follows: Assuming that the kiln A2 is being chargedwith fresh goods, and that the contents of A8 are being fired, then thegoods contained in all the kilns between A2 and A8 have beensuccessively red and are required to cool, while all the remaining kilnsin the circuit from A8 to A2 have been successively charged with freshgoods, and are required to dry preparatory to firing. For this purposethe apertures J into the flues HH' of all the kilns are closed by meansof the dampers K, with the exception of the aperture J' of the kiln A',and in consequence all the passages F, through which the kilns intercommnn'icate, are open, with the exception of F', which is closed by thedamper K'. Thus the doorway L2 of the kiln A2being open, the atmosphericair requisite for supporting the combustion of the fuel in the kiln A8passes into the kiln A2, and through the passage F2 into the kiln A3,where, in traversing the ware set in the same on its way to the kiln A4,it takes up a portion of the heat therefrom. lniike manner, intraversing the kilns A5 A6 A", the air takes up more and more heat fromtheir contents, and arrives in a highly-heated state in the frontend ofthe kiln A2, where it consequently effects the combustion of the fuelthat is fed in through theopenings M2, a horizontal bag or passage withgraduated openings being provided through which the hot gases are causedto pass in a uniform manner into the kiln. In some cases instead ofintroducing the fuel, as described, into the kiln that is to be fired,it is introduced into the narrow or chimney end of the precedingone-that is, the one that has just been tired. The goods contained inthe kiln are tired and baked 'the more eftectually on account of thekiln being made to taper, both in width and height, toward theexit-passage for the gases. The highly-heated gaseous products ofcombustion pass from thekiln AB into the kiln A9, where they impartaportion of their heat to the goods that are drying preparatory to beingburnt, and in like manner the hot gases pass consecutively through andimpart heat to the kilns A1OA11A2, and thence through the passage Gintothekiln A', whence, after traaversin g the contents of the same, theypass through the aperture J' into the underground-due H', and thenceinto the chimney I.

When the kiln A2 has been charged or set with fresh goods and the firingof the contents of A8 has been completed, the doorway L2 is bricked upin the 'ordinary manner, the damper K2 is removed from the aperture J2,and the passage F2 is closed, the aperture J being also closed by thedamper K', thus, also, establishing the communication between the kilnsA' and A2. At the same time the contents of the kiln A2, having beencooled down sufficiently by the passage of cold air, as beforedescribed, the doorway L3 is opened, the goods are removed, and the kilnis charged with fresh goods. Atmospheric air now passes into this kiln,traverses the kilns A' to A2, and arrives in a highly-heated state inthe kiln A9, into which fuel is now introduced, and the contents ofwhich are consequently red. The products of combustion are made totraverse the kilns A10 to A2, whence they pass away to the chimney I.Thus it will be seen that each kiln is successively charged or set,dried, fired, cooled, and discharged in rotation, the heat from theproducts of combustion from the kiln Vthat is tired being usefullyemployed indrying fresh goods, while the heat from the tired groods istaken up by the air required for supporting combustion.

Instead of having only one kiln open in the above-described arrangementfor discharging and charging the goods, twofor instance A2 and A2-n1aybeopen simultaneously, so that at the same time that A2 is being set withfresh goods A2 is being emptied preparatory to being set, whichsimultaneous operation is greatly' facilitated by the reversed positionsofthe doorways, preventing the men employed in setting from being in theway of those discharging. If from any cause the continuous action of theseries of kilns is interrupted, or it is desired to burn each kilnseparately in the ordinary manner, then either' the whole of thepassages F, through which they intercommunicate, are closed by thedampers K, and thus a direct separate communication with the chimney Iis established for each -kiln through the apertures J and flues H H',or, it' these fines and the chimney I cannot be made use of, the caps OO2 02 are removed from the chimneys N' N2 N3 and an iron or other lineis placed upon these, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, so as tocause the requisite draft for the kiln to burn in the ordinary manner;and

Vin orderto cut off the communication with the chimney I, eitherhorizontal dampers (not shown in the drawings) are inserted over theopenings J, or vertical dampers 4are placed across the flue HH' at P2P2, as shown, the fuel for burning in the ordinary Newcastle mannerbeing then introduced at the openings S S, which, when the kilns arecontinuously burning, may be bricked up.

It will be seen that by means of the just hot gaseous described extradampers, and by forming additional openings into the i'lues I-I H', asindicated by dotted lilies at T in kiln A12, also provided with dampers,the continuous burnin g of the kilns may proceed uninterruped, whiletwo, or any even number, may be either partially or wholly thrown out ofcircuit for the purpose either of preparatory drying', drawing, setting,or repairs. This is effected-if, say, A10 and A11 are to bedisconnected-by closing the openings J10 and J11, F9, F10, and F11, andinserting the damper at P12, when, the apertures J 9 and T vbein g open,it will be evident that the draft from the kiln A9 will descend into Hthrough J9, and will enter A12 through T. Although twelve kilns areshown in this aran gement, by way of example, it will be evident thatany greater or less numbermay be employed; and if an uneven number ofkilns be used. in which case the two end kilns will lie in the samedirection, then the flue G, through which these kilns intercommunicate,will pass diagonally across from the chimney end'of the one kiln to thecombustion end of the other, instead of ruiming parallel with the kilns,as in the arrangement shown. The roofs of the kilns are provided withsuitable apertures (not shown) iitted with dampers for letting the steamescape, if requisite. For banding, wooden beams Q Q are fixed againstthe end walls of the kilns, and are tied together by means of irontie-rods R It, so as to support the structure, and other transverse tiesand plates are added where necessary.

The arrangement shown in Figs. 4 and 5 only differs from that abovedescribed in there being two rows of kilns to form the circuit insteadof one row and a return-flue. Fig. 4 shows a sectional plan on line XX,Fig. 5, and Fig. 5 shows a transverse section on line Y Y, Fig. 4. Thevarious details are precisely the same, and are indicated by similarletters of reference to those employed in the foregoing arrangement. Thetwo rows are so arranged that the chimney end of the kiln A14communicates with the combustion end of the kiln A15 through the flue G,and the chimney end of the kiln A28 communicates with the combustion endof the kiln A by means of the iue G. The circuit being thus established,it will be seen that if A5 is charging and A6 is discharging in one row,and A19 is charging and A20discharging in the other row, and assumingthat the goods in the kilns Amand A22are being fired, and that thedampers K of the kilns have been closed upon the apertures J, with theexception of K4 and Km, which are made to close the passages F4 and F18,then the air passing in through the kiln A6 t0 support the combustion offuel in A11 will traverse the contents of all the kilns from A7 to A13that have been tired, taking up the heat therefrom, while the productsof combustion, after passing from A14 across through the line G, willtraverse the kilns A15 to A18, whence they pass into the liuc H3 and tothe chimney I. In like manner the air required to lsupport thecombustion of fuel in A2B will pass into the kiln A20, will traverse allthe intermediate kilns,taking up heat from the goods contained therein,while the bot gaseous products of combustion will, after passing fromA28 across through the flue G', traverse all the kilns from A to A4,givil'lg offthe greater portion of their heat, and pass thence to thechimney I through the Hue H2.

Fig. 6 shows a transverse section, and Fig. 7 shows a part sectionalplan of another arrangement of which my invention is susceptible. Inthis arrangement a number of kilns, A, made to taper from the combustionend to the chimney end, are placed side by side, but not in reversedpositions, so that together they form a circle, as shown. Each kiln ismade to communicate, through the apertures J, with the central chimney,I, the communication between the ,chimney end of the one kiln and thecombustion end ofthe next being effected by the return-hues F. Inburning on the continuous system all apertures J are closed by dampersor valves at K, with the exception of that of the kiln which is requiredto communicate with the chimney, while all the tlues F are open with theexception of that communicating withthe combustion end of the kiln thatis being charged or discharged which is closed by means of a damper atK. If each kiln is burning separately, then all the dampers at K areopen and all those at K are closed. Each kiln may, it' necessary, befurther provided with a separate chimney, as in the other arrangements.

Having now described the nature of my invention and the best means I amacquainted with of performing the same, I wish it to be understood thatI do not limit myself to the precise form and arrangement of the kilns,as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings,as these maybe variously modiiied without departing from the nature ofmy invention; neither do I claim, generally, the arrangement of a numberof kilns placed side by side, and intercommunicating in such a mannerthat the air for supporting combustion in the kiln that is being tiredfirst passes through one or more kilns that have been tired, while theproducts of combustion pass through the kilns that are going to be ired,as I am well aware that this has already been done; but

What I claim isl. Arranging a series of kilns burning on the principleof the Newcastle kiln side by side, in such a manner that the front orcombustion end of the one kiln is contiguous to and can communicate withthe back or chimney end of the next kiln, while the chimney end of eachkiln can, furthermore, communicate either with a chimney common to allor with a separate chimney.

2. Constructing a series of kilns burning on the principle of theNewcastle kiln placed side by side, and made to taper from thecombustion end to the chimney end, the chimney end of one kiln beingmade capable ofeomin unicating either with the combustion end 0f thenext kiln or with n. common or separate flue or chimney.

3. Constructing a. series of kilns burning 0n the principle of theNewcastle kiln made to J[aper from the combustion end to the chimneyend, and arranged side by side alternately n reversed posit-ions, thechimney end ofthe one kiln being made capable of communicating eitherwith the combustion end of the next; kiln or with a. common or separate`flue or chimney.

In testimony whereof I have signed myname to this specification in thepresence of two` subsribing witnesses. v

THOMAS MATTHEW GISBORNE.

Witnesses:

C. D. ABEL, THos. TAYLOR.

